Current-collecting device.



J.S.DEANQ CURRENT COLLECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 19M

1,244,476. Patented Oct 30,1917.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Mam Job/ 5 flea/7.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. DEAN, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CURRENT-COLLECTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30,- 1917.-

Application filed July 3,1914. Serial No. 848,848.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN S. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VYilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Current Collecting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dynamo-electric machines, and it has special reference to the construction and operation of current-collecting devices for use in such machines.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character which shall be relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and reliable in operation.

More specifically stated, the object of my invention is to provide a relatively short and advantageously located conducting member 'or shunt for conducting current around the spiral spring which is customarily rovided in many types of current collectlng devices; a simple and compact means for substantially eliminatinglateral restraint from the coils of the spring; and a novel pawl, whereby the operative positions of the cooperating ratchet member are greatly increased over the number of ratchet teeth.

Heretofore, in certain types of currentcollectin devices of the class indicated, the shunt referred to has extended from a point near the brush, or other current-collecting member, in a complete loop around the coiled spring, thus being of relatively reat length and quite liable to be injured. lso,

the yoke member, which partially incloses;

the spiral spring, has been provided with substantially fiat internal faces, thereby causing a lateral restraint of the coils of the sprin with consequent sluggishness of action. ratchet members have been of the ordinary type, wherein the number of operative positions of the ratchet is equal to the number of teeth thereof.

Accordin to my present invention, I providea suita lyconnected shunt which is disposed wholly on the same side of the spring as the brush, or other current-collectin member, and is thus relatively short and free from obstructions and, consequently, is not liable to damage and is ca able of readily radiating the heat, cause by the oreover, the cooperating pawl and conduction of current. By providing cen trally-located' internally turned bearing edges'or flanges on the yoke member,o nly the innermost coils of the spring are engaged, thereby allowing a movement of the majority of the coils which is perfectly free from lateral restraint. I provide, also a pawl member havin a tooth-engaging tip and one or more edge notches which are adapted to be engaged by the teeth of the cooperating ratchet, under prdeterminedconditions, and thus permit of a number of uniform rotative steps which is a multiple of the number of ratchet teeth, thereby allowing a predetermined relatively fine adjustment of the force exerted by the spring upon the brush. Moreover, it will thus be seen that, with a relatively small increase in the cost of manufacture, the same ratchet may be readily adapted for use in different structures, changes being made only in the pawl member.

In the accom anying drawing, Figure 1 is a view, partia' y in side elevation'and partially in section, of a curreixt-collecting device constructed'in accordance with my in vention; Fig. 2 'is an enlared view, inclevation, of a portion, of the evice illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is asectional view taken on the line III-J11 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a modified form of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2. I

Referring to Fig. 1- of the drawing, the construction here shown comprises a suit- .able supporting member 1, such as the frame of a dynamo-electric machine which is provided with a commutating cylinder 2 or other current delivering surface; a currentcollecting device 3, a plurality of suitable clampin members 4; and astud bolt and co6perat1n nut 5 for securing the currentcollecting evice 3 to the supporting frame 1.

The device 3 comprises a current-collectingmember such as a brush 6 of ordinary construction which is adapted to slide within an aperture 7 at one'end of the holding frame of the. device; a spring-containing compartment 8 'whichis disposed adjacent to the brush 6; spring means 9 for biasing the brush 6 to engage the commutator c l inder 2; a substantially closed side 10 Ear the compartment 8 which disposed adja-, cent to the surface 2 suitableclamping means 11 for securing'the spring means 9 to the frame; an aperture 12 adapted to rethereby to l iiasth'e hrii sh in predetermined embodying centrally located internal flangesfor' engaging only the inner-' ooil s'of' the spring, whereby the greater Portion oflthejcoilsisieritirely free from lateral restralnt. I4Jl Infa ,holdei theicloinb'ination with all; 'ldi s'ffiax Zfli fi od t ans ersely sflrie a lfin d 1 a e sle yqlcdsel y eutmui j ies d b and spiral' sprihg encircling said sleeve nd ha ing its-inner endisecuigedfto'said sleeve and its m ter,ien lseqi lndi t -isle frame; 0' y mamb rn l elly. n'cl e egsal r s it i. g h f e x rte by sa eries; said {yoke "member being provided with in wardly'turiied begu ing edges on said sleeve, whereb only: ,tli eflinnermost coils of the spring come 'in' '{contact with the internal faces of the 'arms of said yoke nember. current-collecting binatio i with;a cu,rrentgcollecti g ember, a holding member therefor, aiid a sp'ii ztl springoperatively disposed in said holding member for biasing said current'collecting member in a predetermined direotign,. of means for varying the force, exertd by' said spring comprising a toothed-gme'iiiberjoperatively secured thereto cooperating p wl..m mberoemhedr i -m P ting more operative position s of said tiiiotl d member than the number of teeth thereof.

6. In a current-collecting device, the combination with a current-collecting member, a holding frame therefor, and a spiral spring operatively disposed in said frame for biasing said current-collecting member in a predetermined direction, of means for varying the force exerted by said spring comprising a ratchet member operatively secured thereto and having a predetermined number of teeth, and a cooperating pawl member embodying means for permitting a number of operative positions of said ratchet member which is a multiple of said number of teeth.

7. In a brush-holder, the combination with a brush, a holding frame therefor, a spiral spring operatively disposed in said frame, and means actuated by said spring for biasing said brush in a predetermined direction, of means for varying the rotative force exerted by said spring comprising a ratchet. member operatively secured thereto and having a predetermined number of teeth, and a cooperating pawl carried by said means and having a toothengaging tip and one or more edge notches adapted to be engaged by the teeth under predetermined conditions.

8. In a brush-holder, the combination with a brush, a holding frame having a guiding aperture for said brush at one end and an adj ae'en't compartment,- a l spiralspringp eratively; disposed l iii-said compartmentand having' its; I outer end secured to said frame, and yokemember actuated-by said spring and bridging; a portion iof i the periphery thereof and? adapted-.to' bias said brush in a predeterminedidiifeotion; of means" for varying' the 'rotati've' force exerted by saidspuing in re la ti e'lysmallsteps comprising a ratchet member operatively secured to the inner end; ofsaid spring and having a predetern'iined number ofiteeth, and a coti'perating -pawl having a tootih-engagin tip and one 'ormore edge notches for receiving said teeth und er predetermined conditions and spaced a'it in ennis adaptedptb ennn 'unnonn ro'tati-ve stopspf saidfiatclietdmemberfi 9. {A eurren't collecting"deyice comprising a 'c'utfrent-cpllectin'g memberga lioldin'g m'em ber"tlier efb i,' and afs'piral spring "member opbiatiiely disposed I in. [said holding 'I'neI'nber, of conducting means connectediri dar': all times relation 'to" said spr'ing' member an d' disposed intermediate the spring mm: be "and fthe current collecting" member, m' ns actuated saidspring member: for said}lciii rentcollect' member in a piedtenniae r: anecnea and"i"'embodying means ssassins with-the spring member for preventing era-l ease-nae ocf -thej coils thereof, Eii diiiiaansiifor i aryihg' the fdr'ce'ex sate b saifl niemher 'comp'risi iga tr ethedmerit-her tperativliy seuree thereto,

a raratins remembe a in fdr pe'rniittrn more"bpritive posi tlons of said toothed member than the number of teeth thereof.

10. A current-collecting device comprising a current collecting member, a holding frame therefor, and a spiral spring member operatively disposed in said holding member, of a yoke member actuated by said spring member for biasing the current-collecting member in a predetermined direction and embodying means projecting internally from the sides of said yoke member for engaging a relatively small portion of the spring member, whereby the greater portion of the spring member is entirely free from lateral restraint, conducting means connected between said yoke member and said frame and wholly disposed on the same side of the spring member as the current collecting member, and means for varying the force exerted by said spring member comprising a ratchet member operatively secured thereto and having a predetermined number of teeth, and a. cooperating pawl member embodying means for permitting a number of operative positions of said ratchet member which is a multiple of said number of teeth. 11. A brush-holder comprising a brush, a holding frame having a guiding aperture for said brush and a compartment having a substantially closed side, a rod transversely supported in said frame, a spiral spring operatively disposed in saidcompartment to encircle said rod and having one end secured to said frame near said closed side, a yoke member projecting beyond a portion of the periphery of the spring member and actuated thereby to bias the brush in .a predet ermined direction and embodying centrally located internal flanges for engaging only the innermost coils of the spring, a conducting member connected between said yoke member and said closed side and disposed near said spring on the same side thereof as said brush, and means for varying the rotative force exerted by said spring comprising a ratchet member operatively secured thereto and having a predetermined number of teeth, and a cooperating pawl carried by said yoke member and having a tooth-engaging tip and one or more edge notches adapted to be engaged by the teeth under predetermined conditions.

12. A brush-holder comprising a brush, a holding frame having a guiding aperture for said brush at one end and an adjacent compartment having a substantially closed side, a rod transversely supported in said frame, asleeve loosely surrounding said rod, a spiral springoperativelydisposed in said compartment to have its inner end secured to said sleeve and its outer end secured to said-frame near said closed side, a yoke member actuated by said spring and bridg- Copies of this patent may be obtained for asers ing a portion of the periphery thereof and having inwardly turned bearing edges on said sleeve, whereby only the innermost coils of the spring camein contact with :the'in.

ternal faces of the arms of said yokemember, a pin extending through the sides of said yoke member, a finger securedto said yoke member for biasing said brush in a predetermined direction}. a flexible member of relatively large current, capacity connect-' ed between said finger and "said closed side near the brush and disposed intermediate the spring and said .pin and wholly on the same side .of the spring as thelbrushg and means for varying the rotative force exerted by said spring in relatively smallsteps com-- prisinga ratchet member secured to said sleeve and having a predetermined number of teeth, and acoiiperating pawl pivotally mounted on said pin and having a tooth engaging tip and one or more edge notches l five cents each, by addressing the c ommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

